The preferred route for drug delivery remains the oral route, but oral drug delivery has now developed beyond traditional dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. Nowadays it is possible to use polymers to allow drugs to be targeted to specific sites in the gastrointestinal tract, and to extend the drug release profile. In addition, polymers can be engineered to allow oral delivery of such complex molecules as proteins, peptides, and even genes.

This book gives a comprehensive summary of oral drug delivery systems, both conventional and novel, and the ways in which polymers have been adapted for these systems. Particular attention is devoted to gastrointestinal physiology and the physio-chemical properties of polymers in order to understand the factors affecting their performance in practice.

This update will interest everyone involved in the pharmaceutical world, whether in academia or in industry. It will be of particular value to those responsible for designing new oral drug delivery systems involving polymers. It will provide a useful reference text both for researchers and manufacturers, and will also be a helpful introduction for students of all levels to the application of polymers in pharmacy.